Mia Pinedo

Block 1
Hedgepeth
May 18, 2015
A Midsummer Nights Dream Final
In Shakespeares comedy A Midsummer Nights Dream, a play takes place in an
enchanted forest inhabited by magical fairies. Oberon, the King of Fairies, gives a monologue
displaying his power, pride, and benevolence with the use of heroic couplets, iambic pentameter,
and extended metaphors; in which he exploits how love can be easily, and quickly hindered.
In the first quatrain, Shakespeare utilizes the extended metaphor of nature with floral
imagery. His heroic couplet, Quite overcanopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet
muskroses, and with elagantine, is in iambic pentameter, as is the entire monologue. The
positive connotation of luscious and sweet creates a tone that idolizes nature. Oberon lives
within the nature of the forest, which is where his kingdom is. Nature is symbolic of Oberons
power since it is the primary source of where his magic comes from. Oberons preeminence in
nature allows him to get away with having many affairs with women other than Titania, his wife.
He goes easily in and out of relationships with various women revealing the instability of love.
In the second quatrain, Oberons pride is exposed as he puts a love spell over Titania for
revenge in disobeying him. In the heroic couplet, And with the juice of this Ill streak her eyes
And make her full of hateful fantasies, Oberon is planning to punish Titania because she didnt
give him the Indian boy. He argued with her and defied her only because she rebelled against
him. He will do everything in his power to get his way, including casting a love spell on his wife
to fall in love with an ass. His stubbornness justifies his prideful personality. Back in Athenian

days, women were inferior to men and were obligated to live by all commands. Oberon, as king,
felt disrespected by Titania, a woman, so he felt the need to disrespect her back by disregarding
all her reasoning. His spell manipulated Titanias love to distract her while he took the Indian
boy.
Lastly, Oberon speaks about helping Helena, referred to as the Athenian lady, and her
love for the man who doesnt love her in return. He states, Effect it with some care, that he may
prove More fond on her than she upon her love. Oberon demands Puck to cast a spell on the
man Helena loves, so they can be happy together and marry. His benevolence to help a woman in
struggle reflects upon a powerful, respectful king who serves justice in his forest. He wants the
lovers to be rightfully in love with the correct person, and simply anoints a mans eyes to fix all
the problems. This denouement of a love potion validates the unpredictability of how easily love
can be changed.
Through the use of Shakespeares iambic pentameter, extended metaphor, and heroic
couplets he explores the idea of unpredictable love with Oberons benevolence, pride, and power.
The enchanted play discloses the difficulty of love and in the end only fate will prevail.